Vacuum-cleaner nozzle.



C. S. HILL.

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1911.

1,109,069. 1 Patented Sept. 1,1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

3 Z l f, 1

/7 31 3. ll l ATTORNEYS 1 v VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1911.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UN ll .CLARENCE S. HILL, OFILION, NEW YORK.

VACUUM-CLEANER NOZZLE.

Specification or Letters Patent.

PatentedSept. 1,1914.

i Application Median: 10, 1911;- Scrial N0.'BS2;859-.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cmnrmon S; 'H1LL,-of Ilion, in .the countyo'f Herkimer and State ofNew York,.-havo inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Cleaner Nozzles; and I do hereby declare thatthefollowing 15 a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in :the art to which it appcrtains to make and use-the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, aud-to the reference-numerals marked .thereon, which a form .part of tlns'specification.

w lie purpose ofmy invention is -to provide an -.improved nozzlefor vacuum cleaners-which will have certain advantages of construction and operation resulting in reatelliciency in a variety of ways as will iereinafter appear. 1

-v1y invention relatestoxhat class' of nozzles wherein the body or nozzle proper rests flat upon .the flooror other .surface being cleaned and-the air is-exhausted from the bodythrough a .hollow handle pivotally connected to thebody.

Oneiobject of my invention is to provide an improved joint between the handle and the body member and especially to make said joint spring'tensioned so that it may be easily operated, and permanently and selfadjustingly air tight in any position and in spite of usual wear upon the contact surfaces of the joint.

A further object is to provide an imn-oved agitator that willautomatically proect from the nozzle slot to a dc rce varying according to the surface being cleaned.

Another object is torovide a means near the slot. into which small objects may readily slide from the surface being cleaned and be retained if too heavy to be carried farther by the suction.

A further object of my invention is toproride a jointed nozzle wherein the handle can be moved to an angle considerably less than a straight angle relative tothe bottom of the body and a. locking device for holding itin such position. This-position is very useful incleaning the tops of windows and door casings-and moldings andsimilarledges.

Figure '1 is a plan view'of a 'nozzle em- -body1ng my'invention. Fig. 2 is'a'sideelevation of the some. Fig. 3 is a cross'seetional view on line 33-ofFig. 4, and Fig. 4 is a perpendicular sectional view on line H of Fig. 3. Fig. tiis a perpendicular sectional viewon -line 55of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the joint-end of the handle. .Fig. 7 is aside-elevationof the slidingretaining-plate' 25.t Fig. 8 is a 'patternwiew of the apertured'bearing 18 before itis-bent'toits semi cireularform.

Referring to the-'drawings -in a detailed descriptiong'my nozzle hasa hollow body 10 consisting of bottom 11, top 12 sides 13'and provided with a nozzle slot 141nthe bottom near-its forward edge. The body=10 is preferably widerand'thinner toward its front in the usual shape of such nozzles so as to give sullicientlength to the slot 14. Toward the rear the bony 10 is'drawn'together to form a drieal head ltl on theend of thediollow bandle 17 to form a socket joint-between the handle 17 and the body 10. The axis of the head 16 is arranged horizontally -so ats'to allow 'the handle 17to be=moved up and down "to the desired angle relative to the floor or other surface being cleaned. The socket 15 is rovided with a semi-oylindrical aperturet bearing 18 of which the side portions 19 are secured by airtight joints to the sides 13 of the body-while 'the top '20 and bottom 21 of the-bearing 18 are-secured to the top 12 and bottom 11 of the body respcctively by air tight joints. An aperture .22 through the head 16 completes the passage for the air and-'-dust'to--pass up from the body 10 through-the aperture-23' inthe bearing l8-and-the aperture 22- in the-head 16 .to the hollowuhandle.- It is understood that the suction is communicated to the-hol low-handle 17 by suitable connectionswith a pump or fan or other vacuum producing means. '(Not shown).- 'lhe'aperture 23 in the bearing 18 extendssubstantially from the top 12 of the body to the-bottom 11 while the aperture 22"in thehead is not sowide and .isso Iplaced that whatever :the an le of the handle it "Will"- communicate wit) the hood or socket 111 into which fits-the cylinaperture 23 and not pass above the top 20 of the bearing 18 nor below the bottom 21 of the bearing.

After forming the ends of the socket 15.

the sides 13 extend rearwardly and are provided with rollers suitably mounted and arranged thereon so as to support the body 10 in proper position on the floor or other surface and to allow of the nozzle being easily moved over such surface and yet not prevent the handle 17 from being swung down between and below said extended sides 13 to a position at less than a straight angle with reference to the bottom 11 of the body of the nozzle as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and l, which I will call depressed position. Upon the inner sides of the extended sides 13 are slidingly located retaining plates 25 having their forward edges 25 formed in a curve fitting against the rearward side of the head 16 adjacent to its ends and extending nearly half Way around said head. Projecting through horizontal slots 26 in the extendedsides 13 and into the retaining plates 25 there are screws 27 preferably having double-stepped heads the first ste of the' slots 26 and so.holds the plates 25 slidingly against ,the sides 13; Over the first step and held thereon'by the larger outside step 27 -of thescrew head-is secured one end of a bent spring 28 the other end of which is secured to a screw 29 fastened into the side .l3-toward the body 10. The tension of these springs-28 is such astd drawthe sliding plates 25 snugly against the head 16 and so keep that member of the joint in the necessary close contact with the socket l5 and bearing 18 was to make the joint substantially air tight and "to keep itsuch even upon considerable wear of the contact Toward the rear of each of the plates 25' and upon their inner sides, that is their sides toward each other and toward the handle 17, is provided a projecting lug 31 having its end toward the body 10 concave and provided with ratchet teeth 31prefer ably having their upper faces 31* slanting downwardly and their lower faces 31 straight. Upon each side of the handle 17 are located projectingears 32 having their rearward faces formed as arcs having their of which 27? is larger than the width These recesses are centers at the axis of the head 16 and having ratchet teeth 32 on said arcs with the upper faces 32 of the teeth straight and the lower faces 32 slanting upwardly. The cars 32 and lugs 31 are so located and arranged that as the handle is turned down to an angle approaching a straight angle with reference to the bottom of the body 10, the slantingfaces 31 of the ratchet teeth 3l on the lugs 31 will come into camming engagement'with the slanting faces 32 upon the ratchet-teeth of the cars 32 and upon sulficient downward pressure being applied to the handle 17 the' lugs 31 will be cammed back against the tension of the springs 28 sufliciently to allow the ratchet teeth 32 to ride over the teeth 31 and the return of the handle 17 to upward position will be prevented by the engagement of the straight sides 32 and '31 of these teeth. It will be obvious that the relative arrangement of .the toothed lugs 31 and toothed arc-shaped ears 32 is such that the handle may be moved into this locked condition at various angles ranging from a middle position at a little more than a straight angle with reference to the bottom of the body 10 to an angle considerably less than a straight angle. This latter or'depressed position is indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4:, and enables the operator to use my nozzle upon the upper edges of window or door casings or similar ledges, which work could not be conveniently done unless the handle could be moved into said depressed position and locked therein. When the handle is locked in any of what'I have calledthe middle positions, my nozzle may be used for cleaning surfaces that do not allowa sufficient support for the'rolle'rs 24, such for instance as curtains, draperies, radiators, the sides or legs of furniture or upholstered surfaces. When it is desired to movethe handle from a locked position to a more upward locked position or to the upward freely moving position a backward pressure is applied to the heads of the screws 27 until the toothed lugs 31 are out of engagement with the ears 32 when the handle may be readily raised to desired position. When the handle is in the upwardposition indicated in full lines in Figs. 2 and 4 it can be freely moved through a considerable arc and so accommodate itself to the different work to be done or to the size of the operator and allows for a slight movement at each forward and backward stroke which keeps the nozzle slot at proper working position at all parts of the stroke.

As a convenient means of assisting in slidlngly'supporting the plates 25. slots 38 are provided at the rearend of the plates 25 into which slidingly fit projections 39 from the extended sides 13. These projections 39 .h uni.

my conveniently be the inner ends of the pivots upon which are mounted the supporting rollers -24. Extending longitudinally across the nozzle slot 14, and yieldingly projected slightly therethrough is an agi- 'justs itself to the varying character of the surfaces being cleaned, thereby loosening a maximum amount of dust and allowing a minimum of air to pass into the slot Without carrying dust with it. When operated upon a hard smooth surface the spring agi-' tator is almost entirely forced back into the slot by reason of the hardness of such surface and so does not raise the slot too far from the surface being cleaned for effective suction but in this position the agitator be ing under tension is stiffer and stronger and so more effective against such surfaces as closely woven carpets, rugs or matting. When the nozzle is usedupon softer fabrics such as carpets having long pile or loose or projecting parts the spring agitator not be ing under so great tension extendsfarther from the slot into such soft materials but is not so still in its contact and therefore does not damage the materials or substance being cleaned.

Preferably I form the spring tensioned agitator out of spring wire bent in the form of a loop 34 at each end to provide means for yieldingly securing the agitator to the interior of the body 10. The extreme ends 34 of the loops 34 are secured to the body while the balance of the loop forms a yielding spring to keep the main length of the wire which is the agitator itself in desired position. It will be noted that the agitator itself aside from the resiliency of the loops 3% is resilient .and so capable of yielding to local pressure or inequalities in the surface being cleaned. The rounding shape of the agitator keeps it from digging into the surface being cleaned or from itself being caught by slivers, tacks or other-projections. Just back of the rear edge of the slot 14 is a block 35 having a gently rising surface 36 sloping upward from the rear, edge of the slot l t, and then giving way to an abrupt "decline 37. A pocket is thus formed into 'which small heavy articles such as pins,

needles, buttons, etc'., may fall and be retained when'too large and heavy to be drawnup into the handle by the suction. The-gentle slope of the surface 36 audits arrangement with 1'ei1 ..='.:i=nce to the slot 14 allows these small articles to be readily picked up by the suction combined with the scooping action of this surface 36 as nozzle is shoved forward.

thev

What I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle-a hollow body with a nozzle slot therein adapted to engage the surface to be cleaned, a handle pivotally connected to said body and swinging freely thereon at certain angles, toothed racks upon said body'and upon said handle adapted to be brought into engagement with each other at other angles, one of said toothed racks being movably mounted to be withdrawn from engagement with the" other,

.and resilient means for normally extending said movable toothed rack into the path of the other.

2. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle a hollow body having a nozzle slot on its lower side, a handle pivotally connected to said body, supports on said body on each side of said handle extending rearwardly of the pivoting point of said handle and body and adapted to support said body in operative position upon the surface being cleaned while the handle is above said supports and to allow said handle to be swung therebetween. and means for detachably locking said handle in saidjlowered-position.

3. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle a hollow body having a nozzle slot on its lower side, a handle pivotally connected to said body, support-s on said body on each side of said handle, extending rearwardly ofthe pivoting point of said handle and body and adapted to support said body in operative position upon the surface being cleaned while the handle is above said supports and to allow said handle to beswung therebetween and toothed members upon said handle and said supports adapted to engage each other and lock said handle in said lowered position.

4. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle a hollow body having a nozzl slot on its lower side, a handle pivotally connected to said body,

supports on said body on each side of said handle extending rearwardly of the pivoting, point'of said handle and body and adapted to support said body in operative position upon the surface being cleaned while the handle is above said supports and to allow said handle to be swung therebetween and past said supports and toothed ,meinbers' upon said handle and said supports'adapted to engage each other and lock said'handle in said lowered position.

5. The combination in a vacuum cleaner nozzle ofa hollow body with a nozzle slot therein and-an agitator consisting of a resilient wire formed in a loop having its ends secured to said body. and its loop extending adapted to yieldingly project the central longitudinally of said nozzle slot and yieldportion of said Wire through said slot. ingly projecting therethroug'h. In witness whereof I have afiixed my sig- 6; The combination in a vacuum cleaner nature, in the presence of two Witnesses, this 5 nlgzssle of'a hollowbody with a nozzfle slot 3rd day of June, 1911.

t erein and an agitator consisting o a re- T silierit Wirejhaving its central portion ex- CLARE} CE HILL longitudinally of said slot and its Witnesses: ends. bent to one side of said slot and fas- S. I. DEVINE,

l0 13811841231; their extremities to said body and A. J. SNYDER. 

